Mariah Picot's blog

The first song I ever wrote was about my mother and my experience of her quiet grace after she passed away when I was 26. It was a deeply troubled time and the writing of that song truly helped me in my healing process. I put the song away for many years thinking it was too personal to sing in public. Plus I didn't think it was very good. As time went on and I continued my music studies and I realized I that was a songwriter, it occurred to me that the event of my mothers passing had helped me open the door for spirit to come and write through me.

I am not a typical jazz songwriter and not a typical new thought songwriter. My piano teacher several years ago called my tunes 'jazz influenced art songs'. That is what they are. I later added 'with a spiritual perspective'. I am really interested in writing tunes about evolution of consciousness, healing, awareness, and nature. If I can put them in a hip jazz setting, so much the better. I sang classical art song for 4 years at university and the form and sensibility has stayed with me all these years, but we've just moved into jazz sonorities.